Tag Archives: Kuala Lumpur

Getting help at an affordable price

Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Treatment Approaches, ,

I was approached by some students hoping to promote mental health awareness and encourage young people to seek help when they are feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, depressed or anxious for more than a few days. Here are some of my recommendations, the general rule is “affordable” here. Feel free to comment some other services if you are aware of any.

The first point that you can approach is actually any Klinik Kesihatan near you, where you can get a quick assessment, from there, you might get a referral letter or recommendations of what’s next (they do prescribe medication sometimes), all for RM 1 as long as you bring your MyKad with you.

Of course you can also visit your GP, i.e. family doctor, whom you go for when you have cough or cold. They might be able to quickly assess you and refer you to the specialist if needed.

Most major government hospitals offer psychiatric services, some with psychological and counselling services (e.g. UMMC). You will most likely be required to have a referral letter (e.g. from your family doctor or Klinik Kesihatan) before you make an appointment.

You may also approach the Malaysia Mental Health Association (MMHA), some years back they were providing counselling sessions at RM20, I’m not sure if it’s still ongoing now, but do find out more here.

Other than that, you can also check out sols247.org. Few years ago they came to our clinic in KL to promote themselves. They offer individual psychotherapy and counselling at very affordable price, this has been verified by my support group member who used to see his therapist there. You can learn more and book an appointment here.

If what you need is to talk to somebody when you’re feeling hopeless or helpless, you may approach the Befrienders at 03-7627 2929, the call is free when you call from major telcos (Maxis, Digi, Celcom, Telekom, Time, U-Mobile) in Malaysia. You may also email them (sam@befrienders.org.my).

And finally, for women who need help, you can contact the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-7956 3488 (24 hour hotline) or whatsapp 018 988 8058.

Please do comment below if there is any information that’s no longer up to date or if you have other recommendation of affordable service. I’d also welcome any organisation or individual offering such services to comment below so that I can add to the list.

Of course you can also drop me a message at 017-2757813 or hello@huibee.com and I shall try to recommend based on your needs.

NLP in Malaysia

Issues & Debates, Treatment Approaches, ,

I have intended to write about NLP (Neuro-Linguistic programme) since two years ago after quite a number of enquiries. But seriously, I don’t know where to start, because from day one, I believe NLP is a pseudoscience (according to Cover & Curd (1998) pseudoscience “consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method”). And if you have followed my blog for a while, you might have noticed my very scientific and evidence-based stance.

Picture downloaded from http://www.pop.or.id/2017/08/what-is-nlp.html

The claims and assumptions in NLP mostly lack empirical support (you may read more here, there are also many other good papers studying NLP and their conclusions are quite similar). There is a lack of scientific interest in the field. But due to what they claim, it still attracts interests in people who might not care much about scientific and research evidence.

In Malaysia, I’ve met people who took course in NLP and are doing general life coaching. I also have had clients who came to me having previously coached by a NLP-based “therapist” (not sure what they call themselves). And this NLP is so popular in the business and corporate world. I suppose when people practice safely understanding their sphere of competency and professional ethical issues, they are helping people and not causing harms – as long as they aren’t claiming that they can be alternative medicine treating cancers or Parkinson’s disease, giving people false hopes.

For the general public, I’d say it depends on your stance. Sometimes I get clients who come to me who specifically want to be treated with CBT because of how much empirical support there is for CBT. On other times, people just approach me knowing I practice hypnotherapy, and want their bad memories being erased in hypnosis. It’s often good to read a bit more about the therapists and the approaches they practice, even better if you speak to them first before making any decision.

Every now and then, there is “new” psychotherapy or pseudotherapy in the markets (not in the field), that has no empirical support.

Would you just pop some pills that has no clinical trials run into your mouth every day?

Please don’t get defensive. Your first reaction might be “of course not!” But there is no right or wrong here. Like I said, it depends on your stance. The thing is, we all have probably done that, especially for those of us who come from more traditional Asian families. But, we can change that.

If given a choice, would you choose a treatment that has robust scientific and research evidence?

Picture taken from https://www.answers-in-reason.com/science/the-problem-with-pseudoscience/

生活教练

Basic & General, Treatment Approaches, , , , ,

这年轻的女生于去年7月左右与我联系，告诉我说她不认为自己有严重的心理问题，但需要帮助。当我第一次见到她时，她说她想重考SPM考试，但一直缺乏动力。而且已经拖了2-3年还没去考。

我不太习惯接受相对“健康”的来访者／患者。通常，我的大部分患者的任何抑郁/焦虑或情绪困扰量表上的得分都很高。但是那时我想接收一些不同类型的来访者，所以我和她开始合作解决她的问题，例如拖延症，处理愤怒和恐惧等负面情绪，处理忧虑和负面思想，建立常规和练习好的生活习惯，还有一些冲动行为的问题。

我们并没有花费很长时间或很多次咨询，大多数治疗目标均已实现。我最近与她联系，她说她目前在等待SPM的成绩的同时正在做咖啡师的工作。

我意识到这原本就像我常在治疗快结束时（当病情稳定得多时）或当他们正在服药并由精神专科医生转介给我时（他们第一次见我时，症状已相对缓解），常做的事情。我还认为，这其实是很多人需要的，尤其在他们积累了很多无法解决的问题之前，对自己的感觉越来越糟之前，开始陷入沮丧或其他心理问题之前，就该得到的帮助。

因此，我决定写这篇关于“生活教练”（或生活指导, life coach）的文章，给予一些不见得患有心理问题，但需要一些生活上的帮助、引导的人。一般上，可以使用催眠、基于正念的CBT（认知行为疗法）和ACT（接受和承诺疗法）来得到帮助。

如果您希望达到以下目标，请在下方评论或与我联系（电子邮件hello@huibee.com或whatsapp 0172757813）：

  • 变得更自信
  • 对特定领域/情况更有信心
  • 学习/工作更有动力
  • 厘清您的人生/职业/未来目标
  • 解决拖延症！
  • 解决生活中的特定问题
  • 成为更好的问题解决者
  • 厘清您的人生价值/方向
  • 开始为实现目标而采取行动
  • 变得更具情感弹性
  • 处理负面情绪，思想和忧虑
  • 更加集中注意力并更好地控制注意力（提高集中力与专注时长）
  • 更好的沟通
  • 更好地表达情感和感觉
  • 执行您的健身和饮食计划，以保持或减轻体重
  • 应对各种恐惧（例如与上司/权威人物谈话，黑暗，身高，约会等）
  • 畅所欲言并捍卫自己的权利
  • …和更多

Life Coaching

Clinical Case Studies, Treatment Approaches, , , , , , , ,

This young lady approached me around July last year, telling me that she didn’t think she has major psychological problems, but she needed help. When I first saw her, she said she’d like to resit some SPM papers, but really lack the motivation. And it’s been 2-3 years that she didn’t get this done.

I wasn’t used to taking clients/patients who are “well”. Normally my clients score really highly on any depression/anxiety or emotional distress scales. But at that time I thought I’d like a mixture of different clients, so we started to work together, on her problems like procrastination, handling negative emotions like anger and fear, handling worries and negative thoughts, setting up a routine and practice following it through, also some impulsive behaviour issues.

It didn’t take long or many sessions. Most of the therapy goals were achieved. I contacted her recently, she said she’s doing her barista work while waiting for the SPM results.

I realised this is like what I do with many clients towards the end of their treatment (when they are a lot more stable), or when they have been taking medication and are referred to me by the psychiatric consultants (so their symptoms had eased a lot when they first see me). I also think this is what a lot of people need, before they accumulate so many problems that they can’t solve, feeling worse and worse about themselves, and starting to fall into depression or other problems.

So I have decided to write this piece on “life coaching”, as it can work almost like a prevention, using hypnotherapy, mindfulness-based CBT and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy).

Do leave a comment or get in touch (email hello@huibee.com or whatsapp 0172757813) if you’re hoping to achieve some of those:

  • Becoming more confident generally
  • Becoming more confident in a specific area/situation
  • More motivation to study/work
  • Clarifying your goals in life/career/future
  • Tackling procrastination!
  • Solving specific problems in your life
  • Becoming a better problem solver generally
  • Clarifying your life values/directions
  • Starting to take actions towards your goals
  • Becoming more emotional resilient
  • Handling negative emotions and thoughts and worries
  • More focus and better control on your attention (expanding your attention span)
  • Better communication
  • Better expression of emotions and feelings
  • Being accountable to your fitness and diet plans to maintain or lose weight
  • Tackling all sorts of fear (e.g. talking to boss/authority, darkness, height, dating etc)
  • Speaking up your mind & defending your rights
  • …and more

ACT Malaysia

Treatment Approaches, , , , ,

Most readers of my blog know my passion on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and I’ve always felt quite “lonely” here as when I first came across it, I was in the UK, and when I practice it here in Malaysia, I have no one to talk about it with. So I’ve written this post about 9 months ago, paging for ACT Therapist in Malaysia.

I guess luck is on my side, few months ago Dr Eugene Koh from UPM contacted me. A group of them, who are psychiatric consultants cum ACT practitioners, are forming an ACT group.

So here is the website: https://www.actmalaysia.com/

These are some other ACT therapists in Malaysia: https://www.actmalaysia.com/?page_id=299 (if you would like to join us, please write to actinmalaysia@gmail.com)

That’s me on the website: https://www.actmalaysia.com/?page_id=367

Utterly grateful with their hard work of putting things together and connecting us! Looking forward to this community growing stronger and better together, supporting each other.

Training/Employment opportunities for Asperger/Autistic Young Adults

Developmental Disorder

I’ve previously written a post introducing intervention programmes for autistic children in Malaysia (see here). Today, I’d like to share a little finding on what young adults, especially (but not limited to) those with better functioning can do.

# Enabling Academy by Gamuda

The academy provides courses that “equip trainees with relevant soft skills and practical job training that are essential for employability”. I have had a client who were first few graduates from there and is now working in the finance industry. It doesn’t just prepare them for employment, but also pairs them with suitable job, and enables them to meet and socialise with people with similar “problems”.

Website: https://gamuda.com.my/sustainability/yayasan-gamuda/enabling-academy/

(Bravos to Gamuda for doing this! And undeniably hoping more and more big companies are doing this!)

 # United Voice 

The United Voice calls itself a “Self-advocacy Society of Persons with Learning Disabilities”. It also provides handcraft and baking courses, and counselling services.

Website: https://www.unitedvoice.com.my/

# Hua Ming Autism Society

The society provides “vocational skill training for youth with autism above 16 years old” every Sunday. More details here.

# Bloomers Training House

This is a job training and employment centre, whose mission is “To integrate Young Adults with Special Needs into an inclusive society by providing them with meaningful Training and Employment.” So it’s not just for autism, but also other differently-abled young adults, like ADHD and Down syndrome.

Website: https://www.bloomerstraininghouse.com/

And of course don’t forget about the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM)! From assessment, early intervention, to transition and vocational programmes, all are available.

Website: http://www.nasom.org.my/

These are what I can find at the moment, please do let me know if you’re aware of any other relevant opportunities for them, by commenting below or write to me at hello@huibee.com

On a site note: there is a great award winning Malaysian produced true story based movie on autism “Guang” （光）which is pretty inspiring. Do watch it if you haven’t already.